


Chained

by douxpink



Category: Karneval (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Eventual fluff and smut, Former Assassin Gareki, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-10-25 19:31:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17731268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/douxpink/pseuds/douxpink
Summary: Gareki is a slave on a human trafficking ship and is trained as an assassin by the Master onboard who saw potential in him. One night, after a masquerade dinner party goes wrong, Circus shows up. Will Circus save Gareki and take him under their wing? (A Karneval Yogi x Gareki fanfiction)





	1. The First Kill

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 of this fic was originally posted on fanfiction.net in 2017 but I recently picked it back up again (two years later haha) and decided to upload it here as well<3 The Karneval fandom is high-key small as hell so I don't expect this to get a lot of attraction, but I still wrote it anyways so why not share it. Plus I really like the characters Yogi and Gareki and think they'd be a cute ship.~ Enjoy!!!

**chapter 1**

~

Trying to clean a floor is a helluva lot harder when wearing chains that chafe your wrists every time you move, but this was just one of the many laborious tasks Gareki had to perform everyday for his Master. Though he was considered one of the best fighters Kafka had ever seen, he was still the Master's pet and was, nonetheless, treated like a slave by everyone onboard. He'd been stuck on this ship for as long as he could remember and had endured just about every form of torture you could think of. When he was young his parents had abandoned him, selling him into child trafficking for a small lump sum of money. $50 to be exact. _He was only worth $50 to his 'parents'._ He was scrawny in comparison to the other kids onboard but he wasn't weak. He was actually quite intelligent even with his lack of an actual education since, when he wasn't being beaten, he was tinkering with scraps of metal, figuring out how the pieces worked. It fascinated him. But because he was different, the kids would bully him and steal his food, leaving Gareki to try and fend for himself with scraps of bread he'd find in the trash near his Master's suite. It wasn't ideal nutrition wise, but it ended up being a benefit to him when all the other children started to fall ill and die, some even turning into Varugas, after consuming the food they were served for all their lives. It was then that the Master on board realized that Gareki hadn't died, nor turned into a Varuga, and it was when his sick fascination with him began. But Gareki tried to repress _those_ memories. He hated thinking about _that_.

 

Gareki hadn't realized he'd zoned out and stopped cleaning when he felt something hard smack across the back of his head which brought him out of his stupor. "Get back to work slave!" One of his Master's many guards shouted in his face. Gareki could already feel another headache coming on and simply just nodded in apology to the guard and went back to work. Gareki knew he could beat this guy's ass if he wanted to, but he wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to get upset and let his emotions get the best of him because he had a plan to escape this ship and didn't want to ruin his chances even more on account of bad behavior.

 

So, he went back to work. Scrubbing away at the tiles on the floor with only a cleaning scrub and some soapy water, which was practicality dirt water at this point. On the outside he was calm but his eyes narrowed further with every scrub as he relished in the idea of one day leaving this hell ship. There was nothing he wanted more than to see his Master dead.

 

Soon the one o'clock (p.m) bell rang and Gareki had finished cleaning the entirety of the floor on the ship. He was sweating and covered in dirt and grime at this point and was hoping his Master would be kind enough to let him bathe, if even for just a few seconds. It was a rare occasion when his Master would be nice to him though, and as long as Gareki kissed his Master's ass and groveled at his feet would he ever consider letting him rinse off in some water for a short while. But his Master was extra busy today since he was getting preparations in order for a banquet dinner he was hosting tonight which also meant Gareki had to work extra hard. But Gareki enjoyed whenever his Master had company over because that meant he would be left alone and out of sight since his Master didn't like to show him off. He was thought off as his Master's secret weapon since no one would ever suspect a slave to actually be a merciless killer and assassin. But that's exactly who Gareki was. At least that's who everyone thought he was. Deep down, whenever his Master forced him to kill, he'd feel a subtle twang of guilt in his heart. Though subtle, it was still there. Every time he took a life he pretended he didn't care on the outside, but on the inside he _despised_ it. Though he'd never admit to it, he would often have nightmares of the innocent people whom he was forced to kill, their eye sockets bare and covered in blood. Each one crawling its way towards him, grabbing onto his legs as he struggled to get away. He would ultimately be succumbed to the masses every time though. All 563 of them. He'd kept track of every single life he was forced to take.

 

 _'Don't think about it.'_ Gareki thought as he pressed a hand to his temple when he noticed his headache flaring up again. Thinking hurt too much.

 

* * *

 

Gareki was on his way back to his 'room', if you could even call it a room, so he could finally rest since he couldn't remember the last time he slept, when he heard yelling coming from the front of the ship. He started running on instinct, thinking this could be a chance to escape. He didn't realize he was smiling when he was running because the joy of escaping overcame him. But when he pushed through the doors, his mood dropped and his smile faltered. It was just his ass hat of a Master yelling at another one of his servants who had dropped a tray of hors d'oeuvres all over the floor. Gareki stumbled back onto the wall and placed a hand to his head again, man he was such an idiot. He was so naive. He cursed himself for thinking he could finally escape and was also annoyed when he realized the state of the floor, which he'd just cleaned, was now covered in food.

 

"I-I I'm so sorry sir please forgive me!" The servant stuttered nervously, getting on his hands and knees to clean up the mess. Gareki could tell the boy was shaking. His Master on the other hand was silent and fuming. Then came the outburst Gareki knew all too well.

 

"YOU STUPID FUCKING BRAT!" The Master yelled, kicking the servant in the gut who Gareki could now see was a boy named Hitoshi. Gareki didn't know Hitoshi that well, just that he arrived on the ship about a year back and was older than him, probably by a couple of years.

 

"YOU ABSOLUTE SCUM! Where the hell is Gareki? GAREKI!" His master shouted, not realizing Gareki was already standing right behind him. This certainly wasn't helping his growing headache.

 

"Yes Master?" He asked, bowing behind his fat pig of a Master, putting on his innocent boy act. He mentally rolled his eyes at having to keep up his little charade of being the perfect pet but he knew he had to do it.

 

"Kill him." His Master stated, now much calmer than he was before, taking a cloth from his pocket to wipe off the nonexistent dirt from his hands. This annoyed Gareki.

 

"Of course Master." Gareki stood up and sighed. Goddammit he really didn't feel like killing anyone right now. The only person he'd _love_ to kill right now was his Master but orders were orders and he had to do what he was told. It only took Gareki about 3 seconds to grab the gun from his waist, point it at his target, and shoot the boy in the head. Point-blank. The blood spilled across the floor and some even landed onto Gareki's face.

 

564\. Another face to add to the nightmares.

 

He heard obnoxious laughter from behind him but Gareki didn't have to turn his head to know it was the gluttonous laugh of his Master.

 

"Now clean this shit up before my guests arrive."

 

The door closed behind him. Gareki was alone once again.

 

Gareki let his knees give out and shoulders slump as he kneeled in front of his latest kill, his eyes held no emotion. This boy didn't deserve to die, Gareki knew that, but he _had_ to obey his orders. It was the only thing he could do.. right? Sighing once again, Gareki leaned over to close Hitoshi's eyes which had been open in fear, and looked up towards the sky. 'It looks like it might rain.' he thought before getting back to cleaning the floor and disposing of the body.

 

* * *

 

By the time he was finished cleaning, if the thought of eating had ever crossed his mind, it was now gone. He wasn't in the mood for scraps of food anyway. He just wanted to get cleaned off and go to sleep, was that too much to ask for? Gareki figured he would just go back towards his 'room' where he was headed before _this_ incident so he could be out of the way for when the guests came. As he was walking down the hall towards his room located below the deck, he stole a glance at one of the clocks that lined the walls. It was 5:45 (pm) that meant the banquet guests would be arriving soon. Dammit.

 

When he made it back to his room he was atleast a little thankful to see a tub of water in which he could clean himself off with. There was a letter next to it from his Master but he didn't care to read it. He was sure it was just his Master commending him for his kill earlier. This made Gareki shudder but he pushed all other thoughts aside and just focused on getting cleaned up. He had to scrub extra hard on his face where he was squirted with Hitoshi's blood which was a pain in the ass. He had to admit though that the water did feel nice and was a refreshing contrast from the rest of the day he'd had.

 

When he was all cleaned up he got dressed and sat down on his bed, if you could even call it a bed. His 'room' wasn't even really a room but a broom closet that was transformed into a living space. There was a small window but all that could be seen through it was the vast depths of the ocean. Gareki didn't like to stare at the ocean for too long or else memories he'd tried so hard to repress would resurface. With a shake of his head, he focused back on his room and leaned back onto his bed, though that was basically just a pile of dirty rags and scraps. It was terribly uncomfortable but he was used to it. It's not like he deserved anything better anyways.

 

Gareki thought about reading a book for a while to pass the time but right when he was about to open one up, he heard the bass of music blasting from upstairs. "I guess the party started." He sighed and opted to just put the book down and stood up. There was no way he'd be able to focus enough attention to read with the noise going on upstairs and there was also no way he'd be able to get some shut eye either which pissed him off. Gareki was a very light sleeper. He had to be.. after everything that had happened.

 

Suddenly his stomach growled and he realized he hadn't eaten anything all day. It's not like this never happened before but for some reason he was persistent on finding something to eat and it wasn't helping that the sweet smell of the kitchen was wafting into his room through the vents.

 

"Dammit this is gonna be a pain in the ass." Gareki cursed with a sigh, he'd been doing a lot of sighing lately. He was going to have to be extra careful to not be seen by any of the guests if he wanted to venture above deck to get something to eat. Before he left though, he grabbed his goggles thats he usually kept hidden. _'Maybe they'll serve as a good luck charm?'_ he thought as he closed the door behind him.

 


	2. The Second Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Circus!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this last night. Enjoy and leave comments/kudos if you want more♡

**chapter 2**

~

Making sure to be as quiet as possible, Gareki started to make his way above deck without being noticed. This of course wasn't too hard for him since he'd been trained in the art of stealth and knew how to stay in the shadows. Even if a guest saw him, it wouldn't be that big of a deal since they probably wouldn't pay him any mind, but if his Master or one of his many guards spotted him.. well that would be another more painful story. Gareki internally shuddered just thinking about what could happen.

 

Gareki continued to follow the sound of the music from above until he reached the exit, and carefully pushed through the doors. He quickly hid behind one of the crates above deck as a guard patrolling the ship walked by and went unspotted. As he waited for the guard to pass, Gareki was able to appreciate the ocean breeze that felt refreshing against his skin as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Gareki had a habit of getting lost in peaceful moments like this since they were always so rare. But that moment was short lived as his stomach growled again and he was reminded of his initial goal: to get food.

 

Peeking his head out from behind the crate he noticed only two guards blocking the entrance to the event hall. They wouldn't be too hard for him to get by, he just had to create a diversion. Reaching down towards his boot, he pulled out a lighter and a cigarette. Placing the cigarette in his mouth, Gareki lit the end and took a puff before flicking it towards the end of the red carpet that lined the boat leading towards the event hall. Soon enough it sparked into a small fire. It took awhile for the fire to spread big enough, but within seconds the guards caught on to the growing smoke.

 

"Oh shit!" One of the guards exclaimed taping the other's shoulder as they left their post to quickly stomp the fire out. "We can't let the Master find out about this!" The other guard said to the first one as they both frantically tried putting the fire out. They looked like a couple of idiots jumping around and trying to narrowly dodge the flames. Gareki just had to roll his eyes at them. Since the guards were now preoccupied with that, he was able to just walk through the doors and into the hall like nothing had happened.

 

Though Gareki had lived on this ship for as long as he could remember, he never really got to get a good look at the upper deck since his Master would never allow it. It was a rare occasion when Gareki was able to admire the pristine and posh architecture of the room. The banquet was extravengent and probably looked immaculate to anyone else, and Gareki might agree were he in any other situation, but instead the sight of it all just made him feel sick.

 

There were already a handful of guests all dressed in over the top suits and gowns and following the theme of the banquet, being a masquerade, so most everyone adorned a mask. Gareki on the other hand stood out like a sore thumb, dressed in all black, and wearing tattered up old pants and boots. It's not like he could really do anything about it though since these were the only clothes he had. Sighing when he noticed a snobby couple gawking at him, Gareki tried to stick close to the shadows in an attempt to go unnoticed.

 

Since Gareki had no idea where the stupid kitchen was, he waited until he spotted a servant holding a tray of finger foods because he knew if he tailed him, he'd eventually lead him to the kitchen. Keeping a safe distance, Gareki clung to the shadows and moved like a ghost.

 

Soon enough the tray was empty and the servant bowed at a guest in apology before excusing himself to go refill it. Gareki watched as the servant passed through a side door located at the far right of the room and disappeared. ' _That must be where the kitchen is,'_ Gareki thought with a smirk, excited at the idea of food though still unsure of how exactly he'd be able to obtain anything unseen. He'd figure that out later. Moving quietly, Gareki made his way over to the door before pulling it open. Once inside, he quietly closed the door and turned around. There was a little hallway before him that reached to the end of the hall where Gareki assumed the kitchens were located. He started towards the door before he felt a hand grab him on the wrist and he spun around quickly.

 

"What are _you_ doing up here?" one of his Master's lackies glared at him and Gareki narrowed his eyes. _Dammit, how come he hadn't sensed him?_ Before Gareki could reply however, he heard the obnoxiously loud laugh of his Master from a closed door a few feet from the kitchens and the guard stiffened up, an evil glint in his eye, before dragging Gareki towards the door. ' _Fuck.'_ Gareki thought, seeing no way to escape as he was roughly pushed through the door.

 

The room was huge, entirely too big for the small amount of furniture in it, being that there were only a few plush chairs, pillows, and a table covered in food and drinks. There were pieces of elegant fabric and tapestries hanging down from the walls towards the ground, and at the top of the ceiling, there was a giant sky-light that gave view of the starry night sky above. Gareki's master was seated in one of the plush chairs located in the center of the room loosely holding onto a glass of wine and laughing amongst his two guests. All eyes turned to Gareki upon his entrance and his Master narrowed his eyes before forming the biggest smile on his lips. "Ah, well if it isn't my favorite secret weapon," He paused to lick his lips, "Gareki-kun." Gareki remained emotionless. "Now now, why such a sour look, hmm? Come here boy." His master teaseed before snapping his fingers for Gareki to come forward. Gareki internally groaned but obeyed nonetheless.

 

"Ahh is this the little weapon you were telling us about?" One of his Master's guests, who was dressed in an annoyingly flashy suit covered in leopard print and diamonds, spoke up holding a wine glass to his lips. Gareki glanced at him, a void look in his eyes, but said nothing. This dude was pissing him off with how entitled he looked just sitting over there like he owned the place.

 

"Yes in fact he is." His Master smirked before continuing, getting an idea, "Now you know how much I hate to brag, but you _must_ let me show you what he's capable of." His Master purred and Gareki wanted to barf at all the lame theatrics but remained still. "Ah but before that, it seems my glass is empty. Boy, come fill it won't you." Gareki looked at him before nodding and slipped on his 'perfect pet mask', "Of course, Master." he replied before making his way over to the wine bottle located on the small table before them. ' _What a pain.'_ Gareki thought as he leaned down to grab the bottle and noticed the guest from before still staring at him.

 

Making his way over to the chair to refill his Master's drink, he watched as the man shoved the glass in his face and Gareki slowly filled its contents with the red liquid.

 

"That's enough." His master ordered and Gareki stepped back a bit as he smirked.

 

"Ooo what a trained little doggy you have! I wonder what other tricks he can do.~" The leopard suited shithead who still hasn't taken his eyes off of Gareki spoke up as he stared directly at Gareki's ass.

 

Feeling uncomfortable Gareki clenched onto the wine bottle in his hands tighter, which didnt go unnoticed by his Master, and without a word, he stood up and slapped Gareki across the face. Having unexpected it, Gareki was taken aback and lost his balance a bit from the impact. His Master's guest, on the other hand, was clapping and bouncing up and down in his chair as if he were watching a circus.

 

Gareki looked up, radiating a strong killing intent in his eyes before his Master pulled him closer so he could whisper in his ear. "Do what I say and if you fight back I swear to God I'll kill you." Gareki froze at the words and his Master clapped his hands together once before speaking. "Guards!" He called to no one in particular, and soon enough, the door opened up and 20 of his Master's best men came streaming in to kneel in front of him. "All of you, attack the boy with all the strength that you have." His Master ordered and Gareki looked up at him to see him smiling and still sipping on his drink.

 

"Yes sir!" The guards chanted in unison before standing up to face Gareki.

 

"Well, what are you waiting for boy? Run!" His Master cheered and Gareki instantly took off towards one of the doors on the side that lead to the main deck. The hoard of guards yelled and chased after him through the door and into the night.

 

* * *

 

 

**Meanwhile: Circus**

 

Tonight Circus was given a mission to take out a slave ship currently involved with human trafficking. Their team would go undercover at a banquet dinner party that the Master of the business was holding and take him down along with all the other criminals on board. Second ship captain Hirato would oversee the mission from the sky ship floating above, out of sight and up in the clouds. As for those assigned with the mission on board, Yogi and Tsukumo would handle it as a team.

 

The sun had been set for quite a while now and it was under the cover of darkness when Yogi and Tsukumo dropped down on a rope from the sky ship towards their target below. The duo landed safely on the top of the ship on what appeared to be a pentagonal sky light.

 

"Are you ready Tsukumo?" Yogi asked with a smile as he straighten out his tuxedo and glanced over at his partner adorned in a fluffy pink gown with matching masquerade mask.

 

"Yes." She nodded and glanced down through the sky light at their feet. Yogi, curious as well, followed suit. Looking through the window and careful not to be seen, the two made note of the extravagant room where it seemed the Master of the operation was location. The man they were assigned to exterminate was seated in a chair in the center of the room and a boy, who looked like he could be Tsukumo's age, was pouring him a drink. Yogi watched the boy, noticing the look of his hatred in his eyes directed towards the man he was serving.

 

"Shall we start now?" Tsukumo spoke up but Yogi continued watching the boy.

 

"There's a kid in there." He spoke softly, eyes still glued to the mystery boy.

 

"So?" Tsukumo questioned, readying herself to attack, but Yogi held his hand up.

 

"We should wait until the boy leaves. We don't want to risk any civilians getting hurt." Yogi spoke but at that moment he watched as the boy got slapped hard across the face by the man who was once seated in the chair before him. Yogi turned his head, not wanting to watch.

 

"Che what an ass." Tsukumo mumbled having seen the display as well, and turned around towards the end of the roof to peer below at the lower deck. She surveyed the area making note of where guards were posted and where escape routes could lead. Yogi on the other hand turned back towards the sky light below and watched as handfuls of men came pouring into the room. He wondered what they were planning but soon enough he saw the Master point at the boy who looked up and started sprinting out of the room, the guards all following after him.

 

"It's time." Yogi stood up from the roof and Tsukumo nodded, already ready.

 

Gareki ran as fast as he could out onto the deck of the ship, narrowly avoiding stray guests and passerbyers as he ran for his life. His Master had told him that if he fought back then he'd kill him but it's not like his Master could see him right now anyways. "Fuck," Gareki swore as he reached the end of the ship, he was cornered. He spun around in a defense stance as he watched the hoard of guards approach him from both sides. His hand itched towards the gun that he kept at his waist. This was going to be a bloodbath.

 

Two brave guards charged at him first and Gareki was quick to read each of their attacks. The one on the right came at him with both of his hands in the air, carrying a long, thin blade, while the other one went from his legs. Gareki quickly jumped to the left and aimed a kick to the guard below him with his boot. He then unsheathed his gun from its protective holster and aimed the butt of it straight for the other guards head, knocking him out. This, of course, angered the other guards causing five more to come charging his way.

 

In the distance gunshots were heard and it started to rain.

 

Taking a deep breath Gareki prepared for the next attack but was thrown off when they all charged him at once. Gareki kicked off the edge of the boat for support as he jump over the group and kicked down the two closest to him. He had yet to use any bullets and he'd try to keep it that way for as long as possible. As he was handling the other three guards in front of him, two guards snuck up from behind him and one managed to jab a knife right into Gareki's side. "Augh fuck!" Gareki yelled in annoyance and quickly knocked down the three guards he was dealing with prior before spinning around to snap the neck of the guard who stabbed him. The other guard, who hadn't even attacked yet, stole one look at Gareki before running away in fear. A couple more guards who had yet to join the battle also started to run away.

 

It was raining harder now and Gareki glared at the remaining couple of guards. There were 5 to his left and 3 to his right. 8 in total. He could handle this.

 

One of the guards on the left yelled and started to charge at him and the other 7 followed after him. Gareki narrowed his eyes, studying their moves. Two of the guards had long spears, three had smaller knives, and three more had guns. Gareki made a mental note to avoid the ones with guns. When they got closer Gareki dropped to the ground and stuck his leg out underneath their feet to sweep them down and onto their backs. Next he smashed his foot into two of their stomachs before dodging a jab to his head from one of the guards. Using the butt of his gun once again, he aimed for the guards head and continued the pattern on another guard who tried to aim a shot at him. Gareki dodged and kicked another guard from behind, causing him to drop his knife and used another guard as a shield when one shot at him. Throwing him to the side Gareki charged at the guard before disarming him and knocking him to the ground. The rain was pounding down so hard now Gareki had to move his bangs out of his eyes in order to see his target below him. He knocked him out with his boot before turned around to hit another guard down with his gun. That was 7 down. Gareki panted as he scanned the ship for the last guard. Suddenly he caught sight of metal and before he knew it a bullet was coming towards him. Gareki quickly jumped to the right but his leg got nicked by the bullet and he rolled down onto the deck. ' _Shit.'_ he thought but didn't have time to think about the new wound as the guard continued shooting at him. Gareki dodged the messy attacks before holding up his own gun and shooting the guard right in between his eyes. Dead.

 

Making sure all the other guards he'd knocked down where also dead, Gareki sighed. He was sopping wet and covered in blood and he hadn't even noticed the commotion that had taken place in the main banquet hall. He hadn't heard the screams of his Master as he was ripped to shreds, or the clambering of guests as they tried to get to safety. All Gareki could hear now was the rain and the new number flashing through his head. 580. 580 kills.

 

Gareki laughed dryly, "580, huh? Is that the number I'm at now.." Slowly making his way back towards the main area of the ship Gareki held a hand to his now pulsing head. His side hurt from where that guard had gotten lucky and stabbed him and his ankle was bleeding as well from where he was brazed, but Gareki would handle that later.

 

Looking up Gareki finally became aware of the state of the ship. People where running around like crazy, some were jumping over board onto liferafts, others were crying, and the banquet hall was covered in flames. "Wha-?" Gareki tried to speak but a hysterical person came running at him screaming about a Circus and knocked him in the side. Gareki landed on his knee as he tried to ground himself. What was happening? Was the ship under attack?

 

And that's when it hit him.

 

He could escape.

 

He could finally escape from this godforsaken ship. Gareki felt his lips quirk up into a smile, still kneeling on the ground. He was going to be free. _Finally_ he could leave! He was about to stand up to think of an escape plan, when a hand reached out in front of him.

 

Gareki looked up suddenly thinking it could be his Master but his eyes landed on a young man with golden blonde hair and violet eyes smiling down at him.

 

"Need a hand?" The man asked kindly and Gareki just stared at him, unsure of what to do.

 

Gareki stared at him for a second and spoke before thinking it through. "H-help me." he whispered and the man with the golden hair just smiled brighter before pulling Gareki to his feet.

 

"Sure thing!" The man cheered before leading Gareki away towards the other end of the ship where a young girl with blonde hair in pigtails was waiting for him.

 

"You're bringing him with us?" The girl asked in a stoic voice and the man smiled before answering.

 

"Yep this is my new friend! He asked me to help him." The man answered as if it was the simplest thing and Gareki just watched the interaction, unsure of what to do.

 

"Hirato is going to have something to say about this you know that right?" the girl sighed.

 

"Aw don't worry Tsukumo it'll be fine! Come on, we should really get going now."

 

The man lead Gareki over towards the girl and grabbed onto both of them tightly.

 

"Hold on tight, okay?" The man spoke softly and Gareki simply nodded before the man leaped into the air.

 

Gareki's eyes widened as he looked down at the ship below them. ' _What the fuck? Is this dude flying?!'_ He thought, amazed but kept his emotions hidden. They floated upwards in to the sky until they passed through a blue portal that led to a sky ship and Gareki closed his eyes at the bright light. When he opened them he noticed that they were inside the ship in a strange white room where a bunch of little sheep-like creatures holding spears were waiting for them.

 

"We're home!" The man cheered happily as he released Gareki and the girl whom he referred to as 'Tsukumo' earlier.

 

"Baaa welcome home.~" The sheep cheered back in unison.

 

"Good to be back." Tsukumo replied and Gareki rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things because last time he checked sheep didn't talk.

 

Gareki knelt down to poke one of the weird sheep things. "What the heck is this thing?" he asked to no one in particular and the sheep yelled at him for poking his face like that.

 

"These black sheep are the defense system we have here on Second Ship!" The man who's name Gareki still didn't know spoke up with a smile and Gareki wondered if this man was always so chipper.

 

"Weird.." Gareki mumbled before standing up.

 

"Come on Yogi we should go see Hirato to tell him about the success of the mission." the girl from before spoke up and started to walk down the long corridor before them.

 

"Ah okay okay," the man sighed before grabbed Gareki's hand, "let's go!" he called cheerfully and ran down the corridor.

 

"Hey-!" Gareki tried to protest but was still dragged along behind the strange man to go meet this Hirato person.

 

 _'That girl had called him 'Yogi'.'_ Gareki thought, _'What a strange name.'_

 

* * *

 

 

When they finally arrived Gareki was led into an equally strange decorated room which held two red sofas facing one another and a man dressed in a suit and top hat was waiting for them. ' _This must be these guys' Master,'_ Gareki thought as Yogi pulled him down to sit next to him on one of the couches.

 

"So, how did it go?" The man in the top hat stated, jumping right to the case.

 

The girl from before, Tsukumo, stood up. "We were able to exterminate the main target involved with human trafficking. The one who called himself Master Willex."

 

Gareki's eyes widen at the mention of his master's name and he stood up. "Wait, you killed him?!" Gareki blurted out and the man with the top hat watched him curiously.

 

"Yes, that was our mission." the girl replied mechanically and Gareki clenched his fist.

 

The man with the top hat spoke up, "What seems to be the problem here? I don't think I know who you are, young man."

 

Gareki was pissed off but when he looked over at the other man he quickly covered his emotions before kneeling like he was always trained to, "I'm sorry sir my name is Gareki and that man that you killed was my Master." he stated respectfully before looking up with heat in his eyes. "But the problem is, that _I_ wanted to be the one to kill him."

 

Yogi watched the boy. ' _Gareki, huh?'_ he thought before Hirato spoke up, a smile gracing his face.

 

"Hmm how interesting.. Well no need to be so formal me with me Gareki. Please, call me Hirato." There was a glare reflected in his glasses when he spoke which left Gareki unable to read his expression, so he simply nodded before going back to sit on the couch.

 

"Now back to the status of the mission," Hirato started glancing between Yogi and Tsukumo, "were you able to eliminate the other criminals on board as well?"

 

Yogi stood up to answer this time, "Ah well we tried to make a move on the one called Master Libra but he had too many reinforcements that we weren't prepared for so he got away." he finished sheepishly and Gareki frowned.

 

' _Master Libra?'_ Gareki thought, racking his brain trying to put a face to the name though came up short. That name didn't sound very familiar.

 

"Well it can't be helped," Hirato hummed, "at least you took out the main target, that's all we were really asking of you anyways so good work."

 

Suddenly there was a rumbling noise that sounded like an approaching thunderstorm and Yogi looked around curious. "Woah did you guys hear that?! What was that noise?" He shouted to no one in particular and Gareki covered his face in embarrassment before lightly punching Yogi in the side.

 

"Hey shut up will ya' it was just my stomach..Geez!" Gareki looked away feeling his face heat up awkwardly and Yogi broke out in the silliest smile.

 

"Aww cute Gareki-kun!~" He cooed which made Gareki turn around angrily.

 

"Don't call me that!" He argued before Yogi stood up.

 

"Aw come on, let's go get some food. I'm hungry after that mission anyways!"

 

When Gareki didn't move Yogi sighed and grabbed his arm to drag him along to the cafeteria with him. Hirato smiled behind his gloved hand and stood up to join them along with Tsukumo. He was very interested in this boy that Yogi had brought back and made a mental note to find out more information about him later.

 

When they got to the cafeteria Gareki was once again in awe of such a huge place. Unlike his previous Master's dining hall, this one was triple the size and could seat hundreds more people. There were buffet tables lining the room as well as personal chefs where one could order their own hot meals if they preferred. Gareki tried not to left his exasperation show but sometimes he couldn't help being astounded by such high-class.

 

Gareki could feel his mouth water just looking at all of the options they had here and he was honestly overwhelmed by the extravagance of it all. Yogi seemed to pick up on this and happily ordered as much food as possible for him. Yogi didn't really know why but he liked Gareki and he wanted him to eat as much as his heart desired!

 

The two sat down at a table with their seemingly endless plates of food spread out before them and Hirato and Tsukumo sat across from them. Gareki stared down at all the dishes laid out on the table. There were pastas, pizzas, meats, soups, salads, fish, tacos, casseroles, pies, cakes, pastries, beverages, the list was endless. There were so many different food items that Gareki had never even seen before let alone heard of that he had no idea where to even start. But then something in the back of Gareki's mind told him that he shouldn't eat any of this food. In the back of his mind a voice told him that if he took a bite of this food then he's turn into a Varuga and die. Another voice told him the food was all poisoned and these people were just tricking him into eating it. A third voice told him he should just starve because a piece of shit like him didn't deserve good quality food like this.

 

Gareki hesitated as he stared down as his fork unsure if the voices in his head were right or not. Seeming to catch on to his inner turmoil, Hirato eased his worries. "Don't worry, we didn't poison anything. Here," He started and ate something right off of Gareki's plate to prove that it was clean. Gareki watched with wide eyes before nodding. "Sorry.. force of habit." He said before taking a bite of what looked like a pancake. ' _Holy shit..'_ Gareki thought, ' _this is amazing.'_ he licked his lips before quickly shoving more mysteriously delicious food into his mouth.

 

Yogi watched him eat in amazement almost like the boy had never even seen food before in his life.

 

Hirato cleared his throat before speaking, "So Gareki, you said that man was your Master, correct?" He asked from across the table sipping on a cup of tea.

 

Gareki paused for a second before eating a bit slower to respond, "Yes, sir."

 

"Pardon me if I'm digging, but I am quite interested about you, Gareki." Hirato spoke like velvet, spinning a sugar cube with a spoon into his tea.

 

"I understand." Gareki stopped eating completely now and Yogi looked over. "Well, for as long as I can remember I have lived on that ship to serve as a weapon for my Master."

 

"A weapon?" Yogi questioned, about to reach across the table for a cupcake but stopped when he caught the seriously far off look in Gareki's eyes.

 

"Yes. I was very familiar with what my Master did, I'm not an idiot. I knew every time we'd port somewhere that he'd come back with crates full of children who would all die in a matter of days. I knew this. Every time they would-" Gareki paused shaking his head and chose his words more carefully, "basically I lived and they didn't which made my Master suspicious."

 

Gareki felt his face get sweaty for some reason and quickly wiped it away before continuing, "Because of this suspicion, he started to 'train' me- che if that's what you want to call it- into his perfect weapon. Even though he took such an interest in me, he didn't ever praise me unless it was for killing someone." ' _God why is it so hot in here all of a sudden geez.'_ Gareki's hand twitched towards his boot but he continued anyways.

 

"He trained me to use me, but only in secret. He hated showing me off which, whatever I guess.." Gareki's eyes grew sharper when he continued, "I just wish after all those years that I could've been the one to rip his head from his piece of shit body." Gareki finished angrily before quickly pushing his intense emotions away and when Yogi looked at him with wide eyes and he shoved a cupcake in his mouth.

 

Hirato on the other hand was smirking behind his tea cup. ' _A human weapon, hmm?'_

 

"Aw well it's okay now Gareki! You'll be safe here at Circus!" Yogi smiled trying to lighten the mood and went to hug Gareki who shoved him away with his boot.

 

"Geez.." Gareki mumbled. _Safe, huh?_ He sure as hell didn't feel safe. On the way here he'd memorized any door that he could potentially escape to should something go awry, as well as how many of those weird sheep guards were posted around the parts of the ship that he had seen. Plus he still didn't even know what Circus was yet.

 

Yogi, who was rubbing at his nose where Gareki had kicked him earlier, was trying to give Gareki another hug to which he was going to refuse until he suddenly felt pain shoot through his side. He had been so caught up in this new environment, and the food, and Circus, that he'd completely forgotten about the wounds he'd received hours before when he was on the ship. ' _Shit.'_ he thought, sourly biting his lip to hide his discomfort, and he stopped what he was doing to quickly press his arm over the wound on his side.

 

Yogi, having noticed Gareki's behavior, looked at him curiously to see him grabbing his side.

 

"Gareki-kun?" Yogi asked in confusion, his overly happy disposition now gone, before his eyes widened and he stood up alerting everyone at the table to what was happening. "Ahh Gareki are you bleeding?!" He shouted and Gareki looked up, still holding his side.

 

Hirato spoke up next, "You're bleeding? Why didn't you say anything?" He asked from across the table about to stand up but Gareki rose his other hand to stop him.

 

"Oh.. yeah, but it's fine. I just forgot that I got stabbed is all." He answered rather matter-of-factly and Yogi looked at him like he was crazy. "What?! You forgot?! H-how do you forget something like that!"

 

"Agh stop yelling you freak seriously it's not that bad." Gareki protested as he moved his hand from the wound to see it completely covered in his blood. He felt dizzy all of a sudden and he was sweating when he looked down at his hand.

 

"You don't look too hot, kid." Tsukumo spoke up standing up as well. Gareki had forgotten she was here this whole time.

 

Trying to act like he was fine, Gareki went to stand up but started to feel super dizzy, and before he knew it, he was falling into blackness.

 


	3. The Third Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyanperona is creepy. Hirato makes Gareki an offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah wow it’s been a month since I last uploaded this. So sorry for the wait (I’m currently writing too many fics to keep up with right now + I’m such a slow writer/uploader it’s painful I know). And sorry for any typos! Please leave Comments/Kudos if you enjoyed, since your feedback seriously motivates me to continue writing!
> 
> (The next chapter will be the carnival/parade that Circus puts on after they complete missions, so look forward to that.~)

**chapter 3**

~

Yogi saw Gareki fall, and without thinking, he swiftly caught the boy in his arms before he could hit the ground. Due to their sudden and close proximity, Yogi was able to get a better look at the boy. 

 

He was pale and there was a slight gleam of sweat on his face which made Yogi worried. Along with that, the boy felt almost too light in his arms which made something inside Yogi ache. He couldn't dwell on these feelings for too long, however, since the boy needed medical attention.

 

“Yogi,” Hirato’s serious voice broke through his train of thought, “take the boy to the infirmary, I’ll send someone to treat his wounds.” Yogi quickly nodded as he carried the limp boy bridal style, being careful not to aggravate his wounds. 

 

Yogi couldn't help but curse himself for not having noticed the boy’s state earlier. He had no idea the boy was even injured yet the blood that coated his side was such an obvious indication now. _Just what kind of guards did this boy have put up that he couldn't even tell them that he was in pain?_

 

Yogi ran through the halls, at the behest of the black sheep, and occasionally glanced down at the boy in his arms to make sure he was still alright. Yogi couldn't help the concern bubbling in his chest at the boy’s unnaturally still form and Yogi sped up to reach the infirmary quicker.

 

He pushed through the door quickly and was glad to see a bed was already prepared and a woman was there to assist the treatment.

 

Yogi carefully laid Gareki on the bed and wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or even more concerned when the boy didn't even stir. He tried not to panic and did his best to assist the woman as best as he could as she began to pull Gareki’s tattered black shirt up to reveal a nasty stab wound. Yogi couldn't help but wince a bit at the damage. It looked like it hurt. 

 

Moving quickly, the woman began to clean the bloodied area and applied a bit of pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. She beckoned Yogi over to apply pressure to his wound while she fiddled with an iv drip. Yogi’s back was turned to the woman, but he heard her open a few cabinets and rustle around for something and she came back to his side with a bag full of O negative blood which she connected to the tube and hung on a hook so that it could feed into the boy’s bloodstream to counter the blood he was losing. With practiced hands, the woman pricked the skin of his right arm and the needle went through his vein as the blood began to flow from the bag. Yogi watched with awe as he continued to press Gareki’s wound.

 

The bleeding had thankfully gotten under control, and he stepped to the side as the woman began to clean the area with a disinfectant before she began to stitch the gash closed. 

 

Once everything was taken care off, she cut the last stitch before applying a rectangular gauze pad to the whole area. She then proceeded to check for any more wounds in the abdomen, before her calculating eyes trailed down to the boy’s pants which had also been soaked a bit with dried blood.

 

Yogi watched as she rolled his pant leg up to reveal another wound on the boy’s calf. It wasn't as severe as the one on his side, but Yogi could tell that the wound came from a bullet. He must have been grazed by one on the ship earlier.

 

The woman began to repeat the same process as before, though this wound wasn’t bleeding as much as the other one, and it wasn't as deep so no stitches were required. She cleaned the area before wrapping some gauze around his leg to protect it, and pressed firmly to set everything into place.

 

Yogi glanced up at the boy’s face, which was still motionless and pale, so Yogi went ahead and grabbed a clean towel before wetting it and placed it on the boy’s forehead. He brushed the boy’s messy black bangs away from his face and was so focused on the boy that he hadn’t even heard the quiet nurse leave and Tsukumo walk in. 

 

“How is he?” Her usual stoic voice cut through the silence and Yogi couldn't help but smile a bit.

 

“The nurse took care of everything so I’m sure he’ll be fine. He only had two major wounds, one at his side and another on his calf but the nurse took care of everything.” 

 

“That’s good.” Was the girl’s short answer as she glanced at the prone boy in silence. After a couple seconds she turned on her heel and Yogi watched with a small smile. Seeing Tsukumo had been a bit concerned for the boy made a warm feeling inside his chest grow as he watched the small girl leave, closing the door quietly behind her.

 

Yogi glanced back at the boy in the bed who looked a bit flushed, but was slowly gaining the color back in his cheeks thanks to the blood transfusion happening before his eyes. Gareki, he was just a kid and yet he had been a slave to that man he and Tsukumo had exterminated before. He was just a kid yet yet had a stab wound and a bullet wound. Yogi wondered with a small frown if there were more scars hidden beneath his worn shirt. Yogi shook his head to remove the depressing thoughts, and he suddenly got an idea that could cheer the boy up when he awoke. 

 

With a small smile and a newfound sparkle in his eye, Yogi called for a few of the sheep to come and watch Gareki while he went to grab something from his room. Surely Gareki would feel better once he met Nyanperona! The kids at the carnival loved Nyanperona so why would Gareki be any different? That’s right, he wouldn't so it was the perfect cheer up plan!

 

Yogi skipped happily, excited at the thought of getting Gareki to smile.

 

* * *

 

Disoriented. That was the first sensation Gareki felt. It was like his head was underwater and the feeling of being submerged brought back a memory that he’d rather forget. He pushed the thought away quickly before anything could become of it, as he tried to ground himself in his subconscious state. 

 

His head felt fuzzy as he was trying to resurface, feeling trapped in the blackness that surrounded him. Then another sensation made its way into his awareness. 

 

Soft? 

 

A warm feeling.

 

Slowly, Gareki had become aware that he was laying on something. Something uncharacteristically soft. It was unlike anything he’d ever slept on before and he racked his brain trying to think of what the source of the comfort could be, but came up short. One thing was for certain though, this was not the ‘bed’ he normally slept on on the ship. 

 

_ Wait _ . Then he wasn’t on the ship anymore? 

 

_ Where the hell was he? _

 

His hazy mind from before disappeared in an instant as his body alerted him to his present danger, and Gareki quickly snapped out of his dazed state and pushed past the darkness that had suffocated him before like it was nothing

 

* * *

Gareki’s eyes snapped open and in an instant he sat up, his hand flying to his boot to grab the knife he kept hidden in it, and without thinking, he grabbed the closest thing towards him and held the dagger at its throat.  _ Act first, think later. _

 

He heard a muffled sound coming from his captee, but ignored it, his eyes were already scanning over everything in the room, trying to calculate his best plan of escape.

 

His eyes were cold as he acted mechanically, but soon enough his mind caught up to his actions and he became aware of his surroundings. First, the fluorescents in this room were blinding him. Second, he sure as  _ hell _ wasn’t on his Master’s ship anymore. Instead, he was in some type of infirmary, but instead of the stereotypical white on white, the room he was in was colorful and the walls had different patterns ranging from mosaic title to zigzag in various dark and pastel colors. Third, there was a really annoying beeping coming from a strange looking rectangle next to him. And Fourth, this ‘person’ he was currently captive wasn’t a person at all and instead was soft and rather large. Gareki had never seen anything like it before as he quickly released his knife and backed away, unsure of what the thing he had been grabbing was. It looked like some strange yellow cat demon wearing a nurse’s outfit, and frankly, it was giving him the creeps.

 

Since he was unsure of the creature’s intentions, it was better to stay on the defensive so he held his knife towards the demonic creature and watched as the thing seemed to sweat and wave its fluffy arms around nervously. Gareki narrowed his eyes at the thing before it finally spoke up.

 

“G-Gareki-kun, I said stop! I’m not trying to hurt you!”

 

That voice sounded familiar but from where? Gareki broke his concentration a little to think.

 

The creature spoke up again, voice frantic. “You’re on Second Ship, remember!?” 

 

That’s when it all came rushing back. Circus, Second Ship, Yogi. 

 

Yogi. 

 

Wait that voice was.. 

 

Gareki eyed the creature again, glancing at its face before looking at its stomach. “Yogi?” Gareki questioned and the creature jumped for joy.

 

“Yes, that’s right! It’s Yogi!”

 

“Y-You,” Gareki stuttered as his eyes widened slightly. The creature leaned in closer to hear him better, “you ate him.” Gareki finished, suddenly on the defensive again. Whatever this creature was, it was bad news. It fucking  _ ate _ that Yogi guy!

 

The creature made an ‘eh’ noise before becoming frantic again. “Wh-What no no!” The creature paled, waving its arms around and when Gareki was prepared to strike, and the thing quickly removed its head to reveal Yogi underneath.

 

“See Gareki-kun! Look it’s me, Yogi!” Yogi continued trying his best to smile under the tense circumstances.

 

Gareki was taken aback but allowed himself to relaxin a bit at seeing a familiar face.. “What the hell..”

 

“I didn’t mean to scare you!” Yogi hastily cut in, “I thought you would like Nyanperona… but I guess not.”

 

“I wasn’t scared.” Gareki quickly hissed out before looking away with a scowl, “and what the hell is a Nyanperona.”

 

Yogi seemed taken aback at the bluntness and was shocked that someone didn’t adore his precious Nyanperona as much as he did. Yogi placed the cat head back over his own, and spun around doing jazz hands. “Why, Nyanperona is the most amazing best friend you could ever ask for! Nyanperona spreads love and happiness and candies to all-”

 

Gareki cut him off before he could continue the ‘Nyanperona’ thing was making him uneasy. “Okay I get it. Now take that off, it’s creepy.” He slid his knife back into his boot and leaned back so his torso was resting against the wall. In doing so, he became aware of the pain in his side again and he winced a bit before pulling his shirt up to see a gauze patch covering the wound as a little bit of blood soaked through it. In silence, he lifted his foot up as well and noticed a similar bandaging. Gareki also focused back on the annoying beeping coming from a strange machine next to him which was attached to him as well as some type of needle leading into his arm. Without thinking he ripped it out which enacted a protest from Yogi.

 

“What Gareki-kun why did you do that?!” Yogi sputtered and Gareki said nothing as he made his way to stand up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed before Yogi’s hand stopped him.

 

“Woah woah, where are you going? You need to rest still. You lost a lot of blood.”

 

Gareki looked up at him confused and honestly was about to ask him why he even cared, but said this instead. “I’m fine. That scratch was nothing.” 

 

“What! It wasn’t just a ‘scratch’! It was a full on stab w-”

 

Gareki cut him off. “How long have I been unconscious?”

 

Yogi stuttered at the sudden change in topic but answered nonetheless, “A few hours. You fainted earlier in the dining hall so I carried you here.”

 

Gareki looked contemplative, feeling a bit embarrassed for showing a weakness by fainting earlier, but Yogi continued, his voice soft as he removed the creepy Nyanperona head once again.

 

“You seriously should have said something before if you were in pain. Did you honestly forget you had injuries?” Yogi’s eyes held a strange emotion and Gareki felt the sudden urge to look away, unable to stare at the depth in those violet eyes.

 

“Yeah.” He deadpanned looking at the wall and Yogi was quiet as if urging him to say more.

 

Gareki sighed, “Sometimes I forget about it if they’re just minor like that.. Geez I don’t get why you care so much, it’s not that big of a deal.”

 

Yogi felt shocked and hurt at the same time. “What do you mean not a big deal?! And of course I care! We’re friends after all, Gareki-kun!” The way Yogi said it like it was the most obvious thing, and with such intensity in his voice, made Gareki flinch a little.

 

“...Friends?” He questioned, finding the word felt strange on his tongue.

 

“Yes friends!” 

 

Gareki looked troubled at the statement but didn’t get to voice his doubts when the door of the infirmary swung open to reveal the Hirato person from before. 

 

“Ah Gareki,” the man tilted his hat slowly before entering, “are you feeling much better now?”

 

“Yes sir, thank you sir.” Gareki bowed his head mechanically and Yogi watched with widened eyes.

 

“Like I said before there’s no need for such formalities,” He lifted a gloved hand to shoo the air before continuing, “but regardless of that, you had us quite worried there.” The man spoke seriously and then paused before adding in a lilting voice, “Especially Yogi.” He made himself comfortable on a couch near the bed as he watched the boys before him with a calculating gaze.

 

Gareki instantly turned to face Yogi and bowed his head to him. “I’m sorry to have caused you trouble.” His tone was robotic and the earlier grouchy playfulness from before was gone. 

 

Gareki’s behavior had done a complete 180 since Hirato had entered the room and Yogi couldn't help but wonder if that had something to do with how the boy had been brought up on that ship. He didn't know exactly why, but he felt a strange feeling in his stomach at the robotic politeness. It was creepy. Yogi preferred when the boy had emotion, whether he be scowling at him or getting flustered, it was much better than this.

 

“I-It was no problem.” Yogi spoke wearily as Gareki lifted his head again.

 

Hirato chose this moment to speak up, eager to dispel the strange air around them. “We also weren’t sure what blood type you were so we just used some O neg. I see you already removed the drip.” He gestured to the iv line that Gareki had carelessly removed earlier, and realizing he’d done something wrong, Gareki stiffened.

 

“I-I’m sorry sir I’ll put it back.” He shoved the needle into his arm without hesitation and even when the roughness caused the skin to bleed a bit, he didn't flinch and Yogi resisted the urge to clean it up. The boy’s quick obedience to any authority figure without question made Yogi feel weird. Hirato had an unreadable expression behind the glare of his glasses and he crossed his legs before filling the silence once again.

 

“But, if you're staying with Circus as a child of the Second Ship, it'd be good to know these types of things as well as your age, for starters.”

 

Gareki blinked. “Um.. ‘staying’, sir?” Gareki questioned and Hirato nodded.

 

“Yes of course. Since that ship you formerly resided on was destroyed, it appears you have nowhere else to go. Why not stay as a member of Circus?”  _ Plus, I’m quite curious to see what you're capable of as an assassin. _

 

“Ah, right.” Gareki nodded, feeling dumb. He really hadn’t thought much about what he’d do or where he’d go once he got free of his Master, and now that the opportunity had arrived, he felt kind of lost. But since he’d stumbled onto this whole ‘Second Ship’ and ‘Circus’ place, Gareki figured he might as well utilize that. Surely being here wouldn't be worse than before. But then again..

 

“What exactly is Circus anyways?” 

 

“Oh, that's right. We never did explain that to you did we..” Hirato had a thoughtful expression on his face and he cleared his throat before continuing. “Well, strictly speaking, Circus is a defense organization that works for the government. Together, we perform raids to capture criminals and solve crimes that the regular security forces are unfit to handle. All members of Circus are capable fighters who use a special type of bracelet, known as Circus I.D., to fight. Of course, you’d be that exception, since it wouldn't be as necessarily for you to have one. With your experience as an assassin, I feel you could make a good addition to this team, don’t you agree?”

 

Gareki considered his words and something in the back of his mind was telling him to accept the offer, it made sense. Another voice, however, was telling Gareki to decline, telling him that he was just going to be used by these people to kill and slaughter like he had before and frankly Gareki didn't want to add any more faces to his nightmares. The voice told him it would be better if he just ran away somewhere and secluded himself, away from civilization, so he could be free and live his life the way he chose. But then again, Gareki thought back to that conversation he’d had with a passionate Yogi only a few minute prior. 

 

_ ‘We’re friends after all, Gareki-kun!’ _

 

Friends. That one word was so intriguing to Gareki. He’d never experienced having a friend before, so he couldn't help but be drawn towards that aspect of staying with Circus. If he went with the other voice and drove himself to seclusion, then he wouldn't experience having friends. In fact, he would probably be quite lonely, and though Gareki would never admit it outloud, he didn't like being alone. Being alone was all he ever knew yet somehow after being around these overly ambiguous yet eccentric people, it had created a longing for something in him which he’d never felt before. To have friends.

 

Realizing he hadn't spoken in a while and oblivious to his inner turmoil, Gareki made his decision before speaking.

 

“I- um, yes I accept your offer.”

 

Yogi, who had been silent, felt a smile etch its way on his face. Gareki would be staying with them after all! He couldn't help but feel glad. He was a bit worried that the boy would reject the offer from Hirato, but he hadn't and Yogi was looking forward to making Gareki as happy and comfortable in Circus as possible. 

 

“That’s excellent.” Hirato smiled before standing up as he made his way towards the bed. He extended his hand out for Gareki to shake but the boy just started at it, unsure of what he was suppose to do.

 

Yogi couldn't help but feel deja vu at the situation. “He wants you to shake his hand Gareki-kun.” Yogi supplied with a smile and the boy nodded, embarrassed.

 

He reached out to shake the man’s hand, hoping he wasn’t doing it wrong, yet it wasn't very easy to mess up a handshake, so he relaxed a bit before pulling away.

 

“After you’ve rested I look forward to learning more about what you can do for us, Gareki. But until then, welcome to the Second Ship and welcome to Circus.” The man smiled before turning on his heel and exiting the infirmary.

 

_ Gareki _ , a member of Circus and a child of the Second Ship. The thought created a weird warmth in Gareki’s chest, and unconsciously, he reached up to grab it, still looking at the door.

 

“Gareki-kun?” Yogi asked hesitantly, and he watched the boy drop his hand before facing him. There was such raw emotion in the boy’s olive eyes and Yogi was a bit taken aback before coming to his senses. He blushed a bit before standing. “You really should rest some more.” He lightly pressed the boy’s shoulder so that he would lie down, and was a bit surprised when the boy didn’t even protest. _He must be tired then._

 

Usually when under the gaze of such watchful eyes Gareki would find it hard to relax, but not today. Instead, Gareki’s eyes fluttered closed and he easily allowed himself to succumb to sleep.

 

Yogi watched, hesitating a bit to leave the boy’s side, but he wanted Gareki to have some privacy to fully rest and recuperate. With a small smile, Yogi made his way to the door before glancing back at the boy.

 

“Welcome to Circus, Gareki-kun.”

  
  


 


End file.
